The Road to Ornithia

by The FraudulentBrit

Off to War

The Road to Ornithia

Part 19; Off to War

The Admiral’s Flagship

Deep in the dark recesses of his quarters, Admiral Ecks relished in what he’d just accomplished. True, his forces hadn’t taken any ground, but immediate conquest wasn’t the aim of his assault. Indeed, the Admiral wanted to send a message. He wanted to show them that he had soldiers to spare, so many that he was willing to lose even a capable officer like Captain Kruger.

“Ah, Captain Kruger.” The Admiral said to himself as he poured a glass of red wine. Raising the glass in a toast, he continued, “Rest well my loyal servant. Your death will not be in vain.” As he drank from the glass though, he concluded, “At least until another of my officers proves themselves your better.”

Of course, there was the issue of Old Silver and his crew. Though their ship had gone up in flames, they led the push that forced his forces back. Indeed, just as he suspected, Silver had become a rallying point, and if he wasn’t dealt with swiftly, then that cursed pony would become a significant thorn in his side.

*Knock knock* There was a knocking at the door. Sighing to himself in satisfaction, Admiral Ecks called out, “The door is open. Come in.” As the door opened, he was greeted by the sight of a yellow Pegasus in a blue sailor’s outfit. This pony was surrounded by an aura that could only be described as pure evil, something the Admiral absolutely relished in.

“Mr. Somers.” Admiral Ecks greeted his subordinate and guest. “Tell me, how did it feel to sow such fear and destruction on those feather brained fools?”

“Ah loved it.” Somers gleefully answered. “They’re gonna be talkin’ about me for years.”

Walking up to the wicked Pegasus, Admiral Ecks responded, “Indeed, you will go down in history.” Turning around, he continued, “But that in and of itself is not why I summoned you.” Stopping in front of a table with a map on it, he asked, “Tell me, did you encounter a certain Pegasus with metal wings?”

Confused, Somers answered, “You mean Stumpy? Yeah Ah encountered him.” Not even turning around, the Admiral asked, “And did you take his life?” Somers, now starting to worry, “No. We already burned that old barge of his and Ah took care of those rebel leaders you were so…..”

Somers didn’t have time to answer as the Admiral quickly spun around, pointing an unsheathed sword right at his throat. As the villainous Pegasus gulped in fear, the lanky satyr began, “Make note little pony, the only reason you are still alive is because I forgot to explicitly order his death. Should you encounter him again and he lives, you will be….” He stopped himself as he finished with extreme punctuation. “….Punished!”

“Ah understand sir!” Somers nervously replied. Gently pushing the blade to the side, he reassured his new master, “Trust me, next time Ah meet Stumpy, only one of us walks away.”

Grinning with wicked glee, Admiral Ecks strutted up to the startled Pegasus and, pinching the latter’s cheek, said, “And that is what I love about you Somers. You get things. As of now, you are my number three, my left hand.” Curious, Somers asked, “Wait, so who is your number two? Bounty Jumper?”

Once again, there was a knock at the door. Grinning, Admiral Ecks turned to the door and sang out, “Come in.” He then refocused on Somers as he informed him, “Mr. Somers, behold my new right hand.”

The door opened, revealing a tall, muscular satyr. His blood red eyes struck fear into Somers as he walked, each footstep producing a terrifying thud. This, matched with his white fur, made him seem like a monster one didn’t even see in the worst nightmares.

As the large satyr approached the Admiral, he began to speak with a surprisingly sophisticated voice. “My lord.” The large monster reported before getting down to one knee. The Admiral nodded as he greeted, “Captain Killjoy. It is so good to see you again.”

As the captain rose, Admiral Ecks turned to Somers and said, “Little pony, this is Captain Killjoy, my most capable officer, and the soldier with the highest kill count of anyone in my armada.” The Captain simply nodded and replied, “I live to serve Admiral.”

Shrugging, Somers simply greeted his new coworker, “Either way, nice to meet you Captain. You ready to raise a little Tartarus?” Turning to face the pony, Captain Killjoy simply replied, “I do not raise Tartarus. I raise hell.”

Now that his two subordinates were properly introduced, Admiral Ecks spoke up, “Alright. Now then, I think it is time to prepare for the real party.” Turning to his master, Captain Killjoy asked, “And what do you have in mind sir?” Smiling with wicked glee, Admiral Ecks began, “For starters……”

As far as Somers and Captain Killjoy knew, this was the beginning of the end.

The Victory, The Next Morning…

“Come on lads, put your backs into it!” Silver called out as he and several other sailors pulled on the crane, bringing another crate of supplied onto their new home. As they pulled, he could hear Celaeno call out, “Careful with that Squawks! Those cannonballs aren’t for decoration!” Sure enough, he turned to see the dopey Ornithian struggling with a heavy crate of ammunition for the many, many cannons. Though he wanted to help, Silver knew his hooves were preoccupied with something more important at the moment.

Luckily, Silver noticed that one pony wasn’t busy at the moment. The only problem was that this particular pony was Perry. Accepting what had to be done, he called out, “Mr. Perry, help Celaeno with the ammunition!”

This time, Perry simply nodded with a simple, “Aye aye sir!” As the gunnery officer turned to join the group of Ornithians, Silver could only hope that his friend could keep his “reservations” in check for the voyage.

“Capitano?” The voice of Prime Minister Garibaldi rang out from behind him. Turning his head, Silver found the scarlet Ornithian running up to him, followed by one of his aides. “A moment Capitano Silver?” he asked.

Silver bluntly replied, “Sorry sir, but I’m in middle of something right now. Give me a moment.” Garibaldi silently nodded as he backed up, allowing the sailors to work in peace.

Once the crate of supplies was safely on the ship’s deck, Silver turned to the Prime Minister and asked, “So, what do need?” Sighing, Garibaldi replied, “We have a slight problem. It’s Venicia, she’s….” He was interrupted when the aide blurted out, “She’s disappeared.”

“What?” Silver asked in confusion. “You’re tellin’ me that the girl just disappeared?”

The Prime Minister simply sighed as he answered, “Si. We turned our backs for a few moments to tend to the others, and she disappears.” Silver groaned as he remarked, “Well, children don’ne just disappear into thin air.”

“I know.” Garibaldi replied. “I was wondering if you’d seen her around here.” Sighing, Silver could only answer, “No. Haven’t seen hide nor hair of her.”

Silver was starting to internally panic. The idea of a crippled child just running off terrified him, especially since he knew Venicia was now both an orphan and had no known relatives. Still, he had a duty to his crew and to Ornithia as a whole.

“Look, I’ll keep me eyes open for her.” Silver said to the Prime Minister. “But once everythin’ is ready, we set sail.”

“I understand Signore.” Garibaldi replied. He then rested a hand on Silver’s shoulder and said, “In that case, I think she is in perfect hooves.” Before Silver could react, the Prime Minister bowed and said, “Buona fortuna Capitano.” With that, the scarlet politician and his aide turned and left, leaving the metal winged Pegasus confused.

Silver didn’t have time to react, however, as he heard the sound of Nelson call out, “Sir, we have the new charts.” Pushing the thoughts of Venicia out of his mind, Silver turned and called back, “Be there in a moment.”

The Victory’s Gun Deck 1

As Perry trotted down one of the many gun decks, he could only mumble to himself in displeasure. It wasn’t about the cannons, as they were state of the art breach loaders. It wasn’t the state of the ship, which could only be described as factory fresh.

No, what had him feeling off were the Ornithian volunteers scurrying around him. All throughout the gun deck, or rather the whole ship, were Ornithian sailors, soldiers, and general volunteers, being greeted and instructed by his crewmates.

“Ugh.” Perry groaned to himself. “Why couldn’t we have gone to Saddle Arabia? Or Griffonstone, or even Klugetown?” It seemed that life always had a way of screwing him over. After all, he never expected to find himself serving alongside the very same pirates who had cost him his commission and career.

“Perry?” The voice of Captain Celaeno rang from the other end of the gun deck. Turning around, the Equestrian gunnery officer found himself staring down the former pirate.

Sighing, Perry replied, “Celaeno?” The Ornithian walked closer to him as she asked, “Can I speak to you for a moment?” Shrugging, Perry replied, “Why not. What is it?”

Closing the distance, Celaeno began, “Look, I know you and I have a very checkered past.” Letting out a quick chuckle, Perry replied, “Yeah, that’s putting it mildly.” Giggling, Celaeno continued, “I know. But…. Look, how about we make a deal?”

“A deal?” Perry asked. Celaeno nodded as she replied, “Yeah. You and me put our little past behind us until we stop the Admiral. Then you can go back to hating us free of charge.” Insulted, Perry replied, “Hate you? You really think I hate you?” Celaeno groaned as she added, “Well Squawks certainly thinks you hate him.”

Having his buttons pushed, Perry sighed in resignation. “You know what, fine. I’ll behave myself, but only so long as you and your friends do as well.” He then extended his hoof and, with a smirk, ended with, “Do we have a deal?”

Hesitating for a moment, Celaeno shook Perry’s hoof and said, “Deal.” As she released his hoof, the unicorn gunnery officer smirked as he quipped, “Now, I think this could be the start of a BEAUTIFUL friendship.” Surprised, Celaeno could only remark, “I hope it’s a mutually beneficial one.”

Their oddly heartwarming moment was ruined when one of the Ornithian volunteers, a burly blue parrot, strutted past them, rudely bumping into Celaeno as he grumbled, “Maledetto traditore.” The former pirate could only grumble to herself; after all, she knew why he’d call her such a term.

To her surprise, Perry stomped up to the blue bully and belted out, “Hey!” When the volunteer turned to face him, the unicorn continued, “Listen here bub. You show her any disrespect, you answer to me, you got that?” As Celaeno began to process what she’d just heard, the blue Ornithian tried to defend himself, only to get cut off by Perry. “You got that boy?”

“Si Signore.” The blue Ornithian replied and quickly darted off to resume his duties. Stunned, Celaeno could only reply, “Uh, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Perry replied. “Just don’t get used to it.” Both he and Celaeno were distracted again, this time by the sound of a whistle, signaling that it was almost time to set sail. Taking a deep breath, Perry quipped, “Well, time kick some monkey tail.”

And so both Pony and Ornithian went their separate ways, hoping they could keep their animosity under control, because this would be a long journey.

The Top Deck…

“Come on boys, release those sails!” Angel Wings called out the other sailors as they loosened the ship’s many sails. As the sails were unfurled, the would-be Wonderbolt could only marvel at the ship that she now stood on. When she was a filly, she never thought she’d be here, specifically an officer on a war ship setting sail to destroy the last vestigial remnants of a tyrannical empire. ‘Huh. Guess that’s really specific.’ She thought to herself.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she felt the large wooden vessel begin to move. Running to the portside railings, Angel Wings was surprised to see that the ship’s propellers extend and begin to rotate. As they rotated, she heard Silver call out, “Alright everyone! Next stop, the great unknown!” And with that, the Victory began to slowly ascend into the air.

“This is it.” Angel Wings said to herself. “Here we go.” Sure enough, there was a large jolt as the large warship surged into the air.

Once the Victory was at a stable enough altitude, several of the many propellers rotated to face the rear of the ship, and soon the ship was sailing away from Ornithia and off to an uncertain future. Though something like this would have filled her with dread in the past, Angel Wings could only straighten her cap and say, “Alright Admiral, your days are numbered.” She then turned around to report to her station.

Instead, Angel Wings accidentally bumped into a barrel, knocking it over and spilling its contents. “Oh dear.” She muttered as she knelt down to try and pick up what was inside, being biscuits and a young Ornithian girl.

“Wait a minute!” Angel Wings exclaimed as she realized what was before her. Indeed, There before her, crawling into the barrel and curling up, was a very familiar, and very scared Ornithian girl with one leg. “Venicia?” Angel Wings asked. “What are you doing here?”

Before the young girl could reply, Silver approached the two and asked, “What’s goin’ on over here?” Angel Wings could only nervously point to the opening of the overturned barrel. Confused, the metal winged Pegasus made his way to the barrel, only to see the child trying to hide herself inside.

“Oh no.” Silver muttered to himself. As he processed what he was seeing, Venicia, realizing she had indeed been caught, climbed out of the barrel of biscuits and asked, “I’m in trouble aren’t I?”

Taking a deep breath, Silver asked, “Venicia, I’d like to have a word with you in my quarters.” He then turned to Angel Wings and added, “You mind accompanying me?” The pink Pegasus nodded yes, and the three began to make their way to the captain’s quarters.

Silver’s Quarters…

To say that the captain’s quarters were impressive would be nothing short of an understatement. Angel Wings, Silver, and Venicia now found themselves standing in what had been described as the captain’s day office; a room that was adorned with a writing desk, a table with a map of the territory surrounding Ornithia, and the few trinkets that Silver had managed to save from the Hawkins. However, right now no one was focused on the surprisingly homely accommodations.

Instead, Silver and Angel Wings found themselves staring down the small Ornithian girl who had snuck onboard the ship. Taking a deep breath, Silver asked, “Venicia, what are you doin’ here?”

“I….” The young girl nervously began. “I want to stop Admiral Ecks. He….” She began to sniffle as she continued, “He took everything from me.” Angel Wings felt her heart melt when she uttered that final phrase.

Silver, on the other hoof, didn’t show any emotion. Instead, he sighed and asked, “Tell me somethin’. If Admiral Ecks dies, will your parents come back from the dead?” Gulping, Venicia shook her head and answered, “No signore.” Silver then asked, “And will it make your leg grow back.” Looking down to where her leg should have been, the young girl sniffled as she shook her head.

Walking up to her and kneeling down, Silver began to gently speak, “Look, do you have any idea what we’re goin’ to be doin’ here?” Steadying herself, Venicia replied, “Si. You’re going to destroy the Admiral’s armada.”

Giggling, Angel Wings quipped, “Well she has a point.” As the young Ornithian began to giggle as well, Silver asked, “And do you know what happens when ships start shootin’ at each other?” Both he and Angel Wings expected that the young girl to give an “I don’t know” or another similar response.

Instead, Venicia, with a surprisingly straight face, answered, “People die signore?” Silver and Angel Wings gave each other confused looks, surprised that a child would give such a reply. Venicia continued, “I’ve seen battle before. My mama and papa brought me on the campaign to fight the yetis, and I can avoi…..” She stopped herself as she began to lose her balance, a reminder to her current predicament. Luckily, Silver dove towards her and caught her before she could crash to the deck floor.

“Kid….” Silver began solemnly. “You have one leg and you’re still a kid. I’m not lettin’ you fight in a bloody war.” He spoke in a tone that was gentle but still absolutely firm. Venicia protested, “But Signore Silver, I can help you. I….”

Angel Wings then stepped forward and said, “He’s right Venicia. Even if you hadn’t lost your leg, you’re too young for this.” She then rested her wings on the girl’s shoulders as she continued, “It’s for your own good.”

Something broke in Venicia. She shrugged Angel Wings’s wings off her shoulders and wrestled her way out of Silver’s embrace as she began to tear up again. Taking a deep breath, the young girl practically shouted, “But I don’t have anyone else! I have no family to go back to!”

Sighing, Silver asked, “And what about the Prime Minister?” Venicia replied, “He’s always too busy running Ornithia.” She then gave both pegasi a pleading look as she begged, “Please. I’ll do anything you want, I swear.”

Angel Wings turned to Silver and said, “Well, you remember what Garibaldi said. She doesn’t have any family back home.” Silver himself sighed as he turned to the girl and asked, “You promise to do everythin’ we say?” Starting to smile, Venicia nodded enthusiastically.

Turning to Angel Wings, Silver asked, “Miss Wings, you mind takin’ Venicia here to me quarters for a moment? I need to arrange somethin’.” Angel Wings nodded as she turned to the child and said, “Come with me.” Nodding, Venicia hobbled her way to the pink Pegasus, who proceeded to wrap a wing around her back to help support her weight.

Once the two girls were gone, Silver made his way over to a long metal box. Placing the box on the table, he opened it and pulled out its contents; the spare parts to his wings. Putting two of the rods together, he muttered to himself, “Now, if I just tweak this….”

One Hour Later…

As Venicia and Angel Wings sat on Silver’s bed, the Ornithian girl asked, “So, am I in trouble?” The pink Pegasus could only answer, “Well, I don’t think Silver is happy you snuck aboard.” Holding her head in shame, Venicia replied, “I know. I just don’t want to get thrown into some stuffy orphanage.”

Deciding to change the subject, Angel Wings remarked, “By the way, I like your outfit.” Venicia smiled as she replied, “Grazie. I like yours too.” She then looked down again as she added, “Mama always said it is important to look your best.” Angel Wings, a mischievous smile growing on her face, remarked, “Either way, you look so adorable.” Venicia could only pout as she mumbled, “I am not cute.”

The door opened, revealing Silver, who was holding something behind his back. Making his way up to the two, he said, “Now, I want to make one thing absolutely clear. If you’re gonna be here, you do what I or Miss Wings here say, am I clear?” Confused, Venicia nodded and replied, “Si signore.” Silver then leaned closer to her and, in a voice that made it unquestionably serious, asked, “Let me repeat meself. Am I clear?” Now properly intimidated, the young girl quickly nodded as she responded, “I promise Signore.”

Leaning back, Silver allowed a small smile to grow on his face as he remarked, “Now then, if you’re gonna make yourself useful, you’ll need to be able to get around efficiently.” He then revealed what he’d been hiding behind his back, something that made both Angel Wings’s and Venicia’s jaws drop.

Held in his wings was a makeshift prosthetic leg, hobbled together of the spare pieces to Silver’s own wings. “I know it’s not exactly much of a looker.” The metal winged Pegasus began as he extended it to the young Ornithian girl. “But I think this will help you out.”

Venicia could barely contain her emotions. Starting to tear up, the young girl leapt towards Silver and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. “Oh thank you Signore!” She squealed with joy. “Thank you so much!”

Angel Wings made her way up to the two and added, “That was so sweet of you Silver.” The metal winged Pegasus, having freed himself from Venicia’s grasp, replied, “Well, let’s just say this little bonnie lass here wouldn’t be the first kid to run off to the skies.” The pink mare could only smile wider as she figured out who he was referring to.

The blissful moment was ruined when Nelson barged into the cabin and reported, “Sir, we’ve spotted two brigs off starboard bow. They have Ecks’s colors.” Sighing, Silver turned to Angel Wings and said, “Miss Wings, please look after her. We’ll sort everythin’ out once we deal with this.” Angel Wings nodded as she replied, “Aye aye sir.” She then began to escort Venicia to a safer location on the ship, but not before sneaking a quick peck on Silver’s cheek.

Once the two girls were gone, Silver asked, “So Nelson, show me these brigs.”

The Top Deck

As everyone onboard the Victory scrambled to battle stations, Nelson brought Silver over to the railings and pointed out to the horizon. “Over there sir.” The three legged Pegasus reported. “Two brigs that look like they’re itching for a fight.” Needing to see for himself, Silver pulled out a telescope and began to scan the horizon.

Indeed, there were two brigs held up by blimps. “Well, speak of the devil.” Silver quipped to himself. “I think it’s time we see what this bird here can do.”

From behind him, Wyvern spoke up, “Well Cap’n?” Turning around to face his oldest friend, Silver ordered, “Tell Perry to start loadin’ the guns. Those ships are goin’ down!” Smiling, the old earth pony answered, “Aye aye Cap’n!” As the elderly pony departed, Silver turned to Nelson and ordered, “Find Celaeno and tell her to get a boarding party ready!” Nelson nodded and left to find the Ornithian officer.

Taking a deep breath, it was now that the weight of everything finally hit Silver. His home, the Hawkins, had been destroyed, his crew was now manning a massive mare o’ war, and helping them were Ornithians, the very people who’d hired them to deliver some simple weather machines. And now here they were; off to war.

“Bet you never thought you see us like this sirs.” Silver spoke to the clouds. “And yet, everythin’ feels, for lack of a better word, just right.” True, he was going into a dangerous situation, but it wasn’t the first time he’d done so. Besides, the crew was loyal, His mare-friend Angel Wings was standing with him, and all in all, if there was ever a time he had to go off and stop a crazed satyr from conquering the world, right now was probably the closest to a perfect time to do so.

And so, Silver turned to the crew and called out, “Alright everyone, let’s show those monkeys what happens when they attack both Equestria and Ornithia!” the rest of the crew cheered as they rushed to their battle stations.

Taking a deep breath, Silver turned back to the horizon, now seeing that the enemy brigs were closing the distance. “Alright you bastards.” He said as he straightened his hat. “Your days are numbered.”

For Old Silver and his friends were now on the warpath, and they weren’t stopping until Admiral Ecks was defeated once and for all.

Author's Note:

So, I'll be the first to admit that this story grew too ambitious, hence my decision to divide it into two major parts. For the moment I'm giving Silver and Co. a good while to rest, but for now, I will be diverting most attention to "As the Apple Blooms."

Until next time,
TheFraudulentBrit

Comments

[Vinylcollector4433]

Thats understandable, I like your interaction with perry and celano. As well as the development of venicia
.

[The FraudulentBrit]

10593809
Happy you liked it.
Fun fact: Venicia’s outfit was inspired be tetra from the legend of Zelda.

[The FraudulentBrit]

Behind the scenes: the reason Ornithia is based on Italy (specifically Venice) is because they’re supposed to be “descendants” of the dinosaurs, and I’ve already decided the Saurians are based on the Roman republic/empire.